Ether Guards
by lightningwizard
Summary: How could two extra, and very different, party members change Shion's adventure? They bring with them an addition to the original plot, hopefully making this more fun to read.


Disclaimer: I do not in any way own anything currently owned by the makers of Xenosaga. The only things I own are the OC's and the clan for which this chapter is named. Also, any outside references I might make to an anime or other known, and more importantly owned, source I do not own.

A/N: This is only my second fic so any tips, or even questions,would be greatly appreciated. So please review.

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Chapter 1 The Clan

_It is rumored that somewhere, deep within the forests of New Miltia, there resides an ancient clan of warriors. It is unknown as to how they got there, or if they even came from another place. Few have actually seen the place, and those that have do not often speak about it out of respect for the clan. Those who lay eyes upon the clan are often so awed and respectful of the way they live their lives that it is viewed as blasphemous to even speak to another about them for fear of bringing ruin upon them._

_There are of course some who have visited the village the clan lives in, and some return. Of course one of the 'people' that knows of the clan's existence is the government, what don't they know these days? And the other is a man named Jin Uzuki, whose skill with the sword rivals that of many of the clan members._

_The clan's warriors, and every member of the clan is a warrior, were among the very best in the use of many fighting styles that people consider obsolete. They were also masters of a specially designed technique called Ether Mastery. This technique was taught to every member of the clan but only to members of the clan, to teach it to an outside was to risk the wrath of the clan elders. Ether Mastery, as its name suggests, is a complete mastery over a certain type of ether, as of now only elemental and healing ether can be used._

"Again!" a man in loose fitting clothing, and carrying a wooden replica of a katana, said to the two teenagers he was instructing.

"Again?" the two teenagers, who appeared to be eighteen, asked incredulously.

"Yes, we have a guest here who would very much like to see your talent," another, much older man wearing a set of light blue robes, said as he approached the group. With the elder man was another person, a woman in a business suit, obviously someone from the city.

"Yes elder Ghiaccio," the two boys said in unison with a slight bow toward the clan elder, one of the five elders who have the greatest mastery over ether in the clan.

The two boys each went back to their starting positions in the center of the sparring circle, and faced each other.

"Before, you begin I would like to put a minor enhancement on the both of you so you can go all out in this battle. I am interested to see how much you two have improved since the last time I watched you fight. We wouldn't want a repeat of that battle, where you two spent nearly two weeks recuperating - from a fight with wooden practice weapons no less," and with that he cast an ice ether over one of the two combatants and through pure will changed its shape so that it resembled a suit of armor. After it was shaped he lowed it onto the combatant, the icy chill that would normally have frozen someone was gone from the spell and felt warm to the touch. Then he repeated the process on the other combated, enshrouding each in a protective shell of unbreakable ice. "Alright, now you can start."

"All out huh, should be fun. What do you say Rai?" the one combatant asked as he raised his pair of wooden kukri, a heavy dagger with a curve and the blade on the inside of the curve, into a ready position.

"That it should, Kaden, that it should," Rai replied as he raised his single wooden kodachi, a sword with a length between that of a short and long sword and with a slight curve to the blade, into a like position.

"Try to keep it in the circle this time alright?" the instructor asked. After a nod from each Kaden and Rai he shouted, "Begin!"

With that Kaden charged straight at Rai, while Rai took a more defensive approach this time. Kaden raised one kukri into the air for a vertical strike while the one in his left hand went out wide for a horizontal strike, creating a nearly inescapable attack without backing up. And Kaden knew Rai wouldn't be so quick to give up ground.

True to Kaden's belief Rai didn't back up, but rather at the last second moved his kodachi so that it was perpendicular to the ground blocking the vertical attack with the hilt and the other attack with the blade. Rai used the moment of shock and lessened the pressure on Kaden's weapons as he spun to the right. He completed his rotation, bringing his kodachi around to strike Kaden's back. But Kaden, still facing the same direction, had one of his kukris behind his back blocking the attack.

Kaden reversed his grip on his other kukri and tried to slash Rai across the back. But Rai ducked under the attack slashing out at Kaden's legs, hitting only air as Kaden jumped above the attack. Rai jumped back a few feet as Kaden cam down attempting to knee him in the head.

The two combatants squared off again, in nearly the exact same position they had started in. This time Rai charged first, his kodachi held in one hand, feinting a slash to Kaden's left casing a kukri to move into a position to defend. Once the kukri moved he pulled the kodachi back towards him only to thrust it at Kaden's chest with both hands before the kukri had stopped moving to block.

Kaden, upon seeing the feint revealed, moved his other kukri to block the oncoming kodachi with the flat of its blade. Upon being blocked the kodachi was quickly retracted.

Rai moved quickly to block the horizontal slash coming at his chest with his hilt, by reversing his grip on his weapon so the tip was pointing at the ground and removing one hand from the hilt. He jerked the kodachi against the kukri to throw it off course so that he could move the weapon to his right to block the other kukri, the tip still pointing at the ground.

With the two attacks momentarily blocked Rai grasped the hilt of his weapon with both hands and reversed the grip with his other hand yet again to slash Kaden along the chest vertically, scoring the first hit of the match but hardly finishing it.

Winded, but definitely not done yet, Kaden backed up a bit to catch his breath. Once ready he took a new attack stance, one foot forward and the other one back so that his body was facing the spectators. He also moved his front hand forward so it was just above the knee and the other hand back behind his head, so that he had his arms and legs spread out.

'Oh, fuck no,' Rai thought as he moved his kodachi so that it was vertical to the ground and held it in one hand; this way he was ready to block the attacks that he knew were coming. 'God I hate this move.'

Kaden smiled as he charged, knowing full well that Rai knew of this attack since he had been the one that Kaden had sparred with until it was mastered. But it was an attack he'd never shown anyone else and now was as good a time as any.

As he neared Kaden drew his back arm forward and out to the left, while his other arm went back and out to the left preparing for the follow up attack. The first attack was aimed at Rai's throat but was quickly intercepted by his kodachi. Which quickly had to spin, so the tip was pointing at the ground, to intercept the other attack aimed at his stomach.

Kaden pulled his arms back and launched the next two attacks, only to have them blocked as well. Then his arms started pumping back and forth sending slash after slash to Rai's chest, and gaining speed with each attack. Kaden switched between vertical and horizontal strikes so that Rai had to keep changing the position of his weapon if he wanted to block.

The attack routine was so fast that Rai found himself quickly losing ground only half way through it, and he was mentally counting the strikes so he knew the exact moment to use on of his favorite counters. Rai saw the next attack coming in but didn't move his kodachi to intercept it, leaving it free to block the next attacks, but instead moved one of his arms to block the attack. This maneuver brought him back on track as his kodachi went back to work blocking attack after attack.

As soon as Rai counted off the last attack he quickly spun to his right, but Kaden easily predicted the move and he spun with him. Each of the combatants came out of their spin at the same time to find a weapon to his throat. Kaden found a kodachi against his, while Rai had a kukri on either side of his own. Neither attack hit, only hovered next to the target signaling the end of the match.

"Excellent performance you two. How many attacks were in that last routine Kaden?" elder Ghiaccio asked.

"64 sir."

"Wow, and you blocked all of them," the woman stated more than asked as she turned to Rai.

"On the contrary. I was losing ground so I used one of my arms to block one of the attacks."

"Alright Ghiaccio, I think they'll be perfect for the job," the woman said turning back to Ghiaccio.

"What job?" the two boys asked.

"This woman is here representing CEO Wilhelm," the elder started.

"The man in charge of vector?" Kaden asked interrupting the elder.

"Yes from vector. Now can I tell you what job without being interrupted," he asked continuing only after he received a nod from both of them. "Good. Wilhelm would like to hire two people to protect one of his employees while she is out in space working on a project. And you two have just been the ones selected for the job."

"You should gather your things, we'll leave once you're ready. Meet me in the main lodge," the woman said.

"Ok just give a few minutes," Rai said as he handed his wooden training weapon back to their trainer. Once Kaden had done likewise the two headed to the log house that they shared.

They entered the house, which had two beds against opposite walls and along the back were two weapon and armor racks, and headed straight for the weapons and armor. Kaden took a belt off his rack that held his two kukri in their sheaths, he also took a jacket – of his own design – which held his many concealed throwing daggers and put it on. Then he strapped on his belt, and slipped a small pebble into his pocket, and was ready to go. Rai grabbed his belt, which had his sheathed kodachi on it, and put it on so the weapon rested on his left hip. Then he put a leather gauntlet on his left hand, and strapped a shuriken holster to his right leg, and was also ready to go. They each grabbed a brown traveling cloak, put them on, and headed back out the door leaving nothing but their beds and empty racks inside.

"All ready to go," Kaden said as the two friends entered the main lodge to find the five elders sitting at the long table in the middle of the room with the woman who was hiring the two of them.

"Alright you two," elder Fuoco, this one wearing deep red robes, said as he pulled two items out of his pocket. "We want you each to have one of these," he handed one of the items each of them.

"But what are they?" Kaden asked.

"Are those the new model connection gear?" the woman asked as she inspected the devices, "But how did you get these?"

"Just because we practice ancient fighting styles does not mean that we completely lack technology," a woman by the name of Guarire, and wearing a set of white robes, remarked somewhat coldly.

The woman let the matter drop at that, and the two friends pocketed their new items. "We should probably get going," Rai said trying to break some of the tension that had fallen over the group.

"True, Mr. Wilhelm shouldn't be kept waiting," the woman said as she headed for the door.

"Take care you two," each of the elders said in turn.

"We will," Kaden said before turning and following after the woman with Rai right on his heels. "How are we getting to the city?"

"The same way I got here of course," she replied and then when the two made no connection she added, "in a vector shuttle."

"Ahhh, of course," Rai said somewhat sarcastically, with a glance toward Kaden.

The small group reached the outskirts of the village in a few minutes of walking and found a small box shaped shuttle on the ground, with the ramp down and ready for them.

"Take us back to vector," the woman said to the pilot as the three of them sat down.

"Do we have to meet with Mr. Wilhelm?" Kaden asked the woman once the shuttle had lifted off and headed in the direction of the city.

"Yes, but it will be a brief meeting. He's just gonna give you the specifics of the location and give you any other background information."

"Sounds good," Kaden said as the city came into view.

"Wow, it's beautiful," Rai said.

"Never seen the city before huh?" the woman asked, the shuttle landing gently on the landing pad.

"Nope, this would definitely be a first," Kaden replied.

"Well, this should be an interesting trip," Rai remarked absently.

"That it should my friend."

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A/N:There you have it the first chapter of what I hope will bea good fic. This may not seem like much of a Xenosaga fic, except for some minor references, but it will pick up with the main storyline next chapter. Until that time please review. 


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